Normally when a high school football team posts a 13-1 record, it is cause for celebration.

Evidently not for Serra, at least in 2008.

When Serra saw its sparkling season crumble apart in a 63-28 loss at Oaks Christian, the Cavaliers immediately began plotting their road to redemption.

“I’ve never seen a team that goes 13-1 just be so unsatisfied with their season,” Serra coach Scott Altenberg said.

Altenberg told his players that if they wanted to improve and break through against a national powerhouse like Oaks Christian, they needed to put in the work and be willing to share the glory (and the stats).

It wasn’t a hard sell.

With an experienced and talented group coming back – and the key transfers of quarterback Conner Preston and receiver Paul Richardson – Serra appeared to be a team capable of challenging mighty Oaks Christian in 2009.

Down came Oaks, the No. 1-ranked team in the state and No. 3 nationally.

So did its 26-game winning streak. And its string of 34 straight playoff victories. And Serra’s frustration of unceremoniously being ousted from the playoffs by Oaks Christian for two straight seasons.

“We were chasing out demons of the two years past,” said Altenberg, the 2009 Daily Breeze Coach of the Year.

“There was this idea that we had a lot to finish this season. As a group, they said, `This can’t happen again.’ Defensively, they were unselfish. Offensively, they were unselfish. Everyone was doing their jobs.”

Serra parlayed this landmark victory over Oaks Christian into the South Bay’s first berth in the CIF State Bowl Series, where the Cavaliers rode whatever they had left to a 24-20 victory over Marin Catholic.

It was the first 15-0 season in South Bay history.

“One amazing thing about this team is that they were never overwhelmed,” Altenberg said. “At state, they looked the same way that they did against Silverado in the season opener. They had a believe in themselves a belief that they were a great team.”

Apparently the first rule about Oak Christian is not talking about Oaks Christian.

Though Oaks Christian was on the forefront of everybody’s mind, Altenberg instead focused the Cavaliers on a rugged schedule.

After all, to get to Oaks Christian, they had to get through a nonleague schedule that included Redondo, Carson and Taft, a tough Del Rey League that included Harvard-Westlake and Cathedral and a playoff run that included back-to-back trips to the Santa Maria area to take on Nipomo and St. Joseph in frigid weather.

Then they took down Oaks in the final season the teams are paired against each other in the playoffs.

“I actually forbid them from talking about Oaks Christian,” Altenberg said. “People don’t understand how hard it is to go 13-0. Then to do it a second straight season. If we look ahead to the final, we might stumble before we get there.”

Altenberg’s offense certainly made a name for itself with 6,095 yards and 82 touchdowns on the season.

But it was the defense that really helped make this a special team, giving up only 13 points a game.

The secondary had 22 of the team’s 23 interceptions and returned eight for touchdowns.

And that was a result of Serra’s ability to put so much pressure on opposing offenses. Serra recorded 75 sacks.

“This was one of the best defenses we’ve ever had,” Altenberg said. “One thing people always underestimate about us is how hard we hit. We like the contact. At Serra, we like to say that you hear the game.

“And we had a ton of sacks. It was always a manhunt for the quarterback.”

Altenberg also won the Daily Breeze Coach of the Year in 2002, but he is quick to credit his assistant coaches.